Welcome Back!

Greetings Mitchell Families,

     Join us for the annual Mitchell Welcome Back picnic, August 27th, 6 pm. Come meet your child's teacher and connect with friends new and old! 

Week of May 19th

Dear Families,
     As part of our partnership with the University of Michigan, Mitchell teachers are working with an organization from UM called Teaching Works.  This organization works to develop excellent teachers through "high leverage practices".  In effect, the work that good teachers do.  Find out more about their work at teachingworks.org.  I share this information with you because Teaching Works is developing a library of videos of these "high leverage practices" in action and have asked to record me teaching writing on Friday 5/23.  This video will be edited and stored in the Teaching Works library and only accessed by registered users.  A consent form will be going home in your child's take home folder on Monday.  Please sign and return consent forms as soon as possible.  Of course, if you have any questions please feel free to ask. 

Sincerely,
Aaron Padgen-Soucy

Week of May 5th

Pond Field Trip this Wednesday 5/7!
The weather looks like it might be a bit wet.  Our trip will take place even if there is light right.  Please help your child to be dressed for the weather with a raincoat, rain boots or old tennis shoes, and a change of clothes for when we return to school.

NWEA Testing
We will start our Spring NWEA testing this Friday.  Help your child do their best by ensuring they have a healthy breakfast and a good night's rest.

Sharing Pourquoi Tales

    We have been learning about Pourquoi Tales in reading in writing workshop. A Pourquoi Tale is a story that explains how something in nature came to be.  Using Raven by Gerald McDermott as our mentor text each student wrote their own tale to share with the students of Mitchell School.  Here's the story we co-wrote as a class.

 Why the Sun Rests in the Sky

     Long ago, the world was cold, dark.  In the quiet stillness of the forest, all the animals were huddled together in their homes.  This made Owl sad.  He decided to help.  He flew.  He flew over mountains.  He flew over rivers.  Finally, just over the horizon was the glow of warmth and light.

     Owl landed on the branch of an ancient oak.  As he was wondering about the strange glow he noticed Fox slinking through the trees.  “Fox! Fox! Did you notice that strange glow beyond the trees?”  “Ahhh…”  Fox sighed, “that’s Bear’s house.  He has the sun.  He uses it to light the long dark nights and warm his home.”  Owl, who is both wise and clever, didn’t think the sun should belong just to Bear, but to all the plants and animals of the forest.  Owl flew off, following the light.

     Owl flew.  He flew over mountains.  He flew over rivers.  As he flew the light grew brighter, stronger, warmer.  At last when Owl felt he could fly no more he saw a small house made of birchbark sitting high among the towering trees.  Just as he was nearing Bear’s house, Owl changed himself into a leaf and floated gently to a branch right outside Bear’s window.

     As he rested, swaying in the breeze, Owl could hear Bear mumbling…” I am Bear.  I’m the biggest, I’m the strongest…the light is all mine.  I am Bear.  I’m the fastest…I’m the wisest…the warmth is all mine.”  Owl could feel the light and warmth radiating from the sun that Bear held in his lap.  Owl waited patiently.  After awhile, Bear got up and gently rested the sun on a stump near the window.  All at once, Owl quickly changed from leaf to animal, swooping from the branch and swiftly grabbing the sun in his talons.

     Owl flew.  He flew higher and higher.  When he could climb no higher, he opened his wings wide, stretch his talons, and released the sun into the sky.  To this day, the sun lives in the sky providing warmth and light for all living things.  And, to this day Bear hibernates to avoid the long, cold, dark nights of winter. 

And here we are sharing our stories with the 5th graders.

 

Week of April 28th

We will be saying goodbye to Miss Macadangdang this week.  Thank you for all your hard work in our classroom this year.  We'll be thinking of you as you continue your studies this spring at UM.

5/2 Mitchell Scarlett Family Fun Nigh and Silent Auction

Don't forget, you can bid on our "Summer Boredom Buster Bag"!

5/7 Field Trip to Scarlett Pond

Please look for a letter and permission slip to go home this week regarding this trip.

5/9 NWEA-Reading

5/14 NWEA-Math

Native American Experience

A big thank you to Gary Ghareeb from the Native American Experience.  We learned how Michigan's Native Americans adapted to the seasons and had the opportunity to touch many of the artifacts including, furs, animal hides, clothing, jewerly, tools, and much more. 

This Week